russet

American  

[ruhs-it] / ˈrʌs ɪt /

noun

• russets
  plural

1. yellowish brown, light brown, or reddish brown.

2. a coarse reddish-brown or brownish homespun cloth formerly used for clothing.

3. any of various apples that have a rough brownish skin and ripen in the autumn.

4. a brownish, roughened area on fruit, resulting from diseases, insects, or spraying.

5. russet Burbank.

6. finished leather that is not yet polished or colored.

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adjective

1. yellowish-brown, light-brown, or reddish-brown.

2. made of russet.

russet British  

/ ˈrʌsɪt /

noun

1. brown with a yellowish or reddish tinge

2. 1. a rough homespun fabric, reddish-brown in colour, formerly in use for clothing

   2. ( as modifier )

      a russet coat

3. any of various apples with rough brownish-red skins

4. abnormal roughness on fruit, caused by parasites, pesticides, or frost

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adjective

1. (of tanned hide leather) dressed ready for staining

2. archaic simple; homely; rustic

   a russet life

3. of the colour russet

   russet hair

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• russetish
  adjective
• russetlike
  adjective
• russety
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• russets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of russet

1225–75; Middle English < Old French rousset, diminutive of rous reddish brown, red (of hair); see roux

Explanation

Use the word russet to describe things that are a reddish-brown color, like autumn leaves or your cousin's pretty auburn hair. The adjective russet is great for talking about a particular color — in fact, the most common kind of Idaho potato is the Russet Burbank potato, named for its russet-colored skin. In apples, the word russet doesn't apply to color, but instead to a roughness in the skin. Another meaning of russet is a cheap, rough blanket worn in the Middle Ages by poor people. The root is the Latin word for "red," russus.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

russet russets

Peeled russet potatoes, lettuce and three cups of water are then thrown into the mix, boiled and, finally, simmered.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

But for some, the true treat will turn out to be the classic oval or oblong-shaped russet spud, good for baking, frying or just plain admiring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

Continued warm weather meant autumn came late this year, but it brought an explosion of colour with some spectacular displays ranging from gold through to russet red, like here on the Wallington Estate in Northumberland.

From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2024

The latter are russet potatoes, scored, baked and fried crispy, and served with bravas sauce and garlic aioli.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 24, 2023

They all turned to look at her, the boys shirtless and small against the walls of raspberries, Carl bent at the knees, his knife in hand, a giant with a russet beard.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

Also, sweet potatoes, as the name suggests, have more natural sugar than russets, which can cause the pancakes to burn, so make sure not to turn the heat up too high.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 4, 2023

One nice thing about using sweet potatoes instead of the more traditional russets: They contain much less water, so you don’t have to squeeze them dry.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 4, 2023

You can go over the top, but at the end of the day, all you need is butter, cream, salt, and pepper to make russets or Yukon gold potatoes taste like a warm hug.

From Salon ● Nov. 12, 2021

Like a flower, it adds color to a landscape, from russets and umbers to flaring golds to lunar whites.

From New York Times ● Oct. 11, 2019

Hildy and Prentisstown and russets and sheep and settlers and leaky pipe and Hildy.

From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

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